For this lesson you will learn about the different segments of the fashion industry including their channels of distribution, the different types of textiles, organizations, publications, and geographic locations.
The Substance of the Fashion Industry
Terms for this Lesson
Channel of distribution: the route that products take from the original source through all middle people to the end user
Commodity products: staple goods that hardly ever change in design and are in constant demand
Composites: textiles combined with other materials, such as for use in commercial hose, belting, car fenders, and boat hulls
Designing: the process of creating new versions for garments, accessories, or other items
Fabrics: long pieces of cloth
Fashion products: goods that are always changing, having style and timing risk
Fibers: very thin, hair-like strands that can be quite short or very long; the basic units in making textile products
Four-groups approach: a way of showing the flow of goods from fiber to retail that includes the primary, secondary, retail, and auxiliary groups
Geotextiles: industrial textiles that relate to the earth's surface
Greige goods: yeard goods in an unfinished state
Labor-intensive: requiring many workers to make the products, rather than relying heavily on machines and technology
Networking: the exchange of ideas, information, or services among an interconnected group of people
Private label goods: goods that are produced only for a particular retailer and have the retailer's special trademark or brand name
Resellers: wholesalers who serve to distribute goods between producers and retailers or users
Seasonal products: products that change in popularity or demand with the seasons of the year
Soft goods chain: the channel of distribution for apparel and home decorating textiles
Technical textiles: fabrics sold to commercial business customers according to specifications and performance quality rather than a fashion look
Textile/apparel pipeline: see soft goods chain
Trade associations: non-profit, voluntary organizations made up of businesses that have common interests
Trade publications: magazines, newspapers, and books that deal specifically with a certain industry or segment of an industry
Vertical integration: the combining of two or more steps of the pipeline within one company and under one management
Yarns: continuous strands of textile fibers spun into a form suitable for processing into fabrics
The Substance of the Fashion Industry
Terms for this Lesson
Channel of distribution: the route that products take from the original source through all middle people to the end userCommodity products: staple goods that hardly ever change in design and are in constant demand
Composites: textiles combined with other materials, such as for use in commercial hose, belting, car fenders, and boat hulls
Designing: the process of creating new versions for garments, accessories, or other items
Fabrics: long pieces of cloth
Fashion products: goods that are always changing, having style and timing risk
Fibers: very thin, hair-like strands that can be quite short or very long; the basic units in making textile products
Four-groups approach: a way of showing the flow of goods from fiber to retail that includes the primary, secondary, retail, and auxiliary groups
Geotextiles: industrial textiles that relate to the earth's surface
Greige goods: yeard goods in an unfinished state
Labor-intensive: requiring many workers to make the products, rather than relying heavily on machines and technology
Networking: the exchange of ideas, information, or services among an interconnected group of people
Private label goods: goods that are produced only for a particular retailer and have the retailer's special trademark or brand name
Resellers: wholesalers who serve to distribute goods between producers and retailers or users
Seasonal products: products that change in popularity or demand with the seasons of the year
Soft goods chain: the channel of distribution for apparel and home decorating textiles
Technical textiles: fabrics sold to commercial business customers according to specifications and performance quality rather than a fashion look
Textile/apparel pipeline: see soft goods chain
Trade associations: non-profit, voluntary organizations made up of businesses that have common interests
Trade publications: magazines, newspapers, and books that deal specifically with a certain industry or segment of an industry
Vertical integration: the combining of two or more steps of the pipeline within one company and under one management
Yarns: continuous strands of textile fibers spun into a form suitable for processing into fabrics
Important Concepts to Remember